Hydrogen has been widely recognized as a potential fuel of the future. Today, hydrogen is commonly produced by extraction from hydrocarbon fossil fuels via a chemical path. Hydrogen may also be extracted from water via biological production in an algae bioreactor, or using electricity (by electrolysis), chemicals (by chemical reduction) or heat (by thermolysis); these methods are less developed for bulk generation in comparison to chemical paths derived from hydrocarbons. The discovery and development of less expensive methods of bulk production of hydrogen will accelerate the establishment of a Hydrogen fuel source.
Another source of Hydrogen production is Electrolysis of water, which is the decomposition of water (H2O) into oxygen (O2) and hydrogen gas (H2) due to an electric current being passed through the water. This electrolytic process is used in some industrial applications when hydrogen is needed.
An electrical power source is connected to two electrodes, or two plates, (typically made from some inert metal such as platinum or stainless steel) which are placed in the water. Hydrogen will appear at the cathode (the negatively charged electrode, where electrons are pumped into the water), and oxygen will appear at the anode (the positively charged electrode). The generated amount of hydrogen is twice the amount of oxygen, and both are proportional to the total electrical charge that was sent through the water.
Electrolysis of pure water is very slow, and can only occur due to the self-ionization of water. Pure water has an electrical conductivity about one millionth that of seawater. It is sped up dramatically by adding an electrolyte (such as a salt, an acid or a base).
Historically, the first known electrolysis of water was done by William Nicholson and Anthony Carlisle in about 1800.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,512 attempts to address the issue of hydrogen production. However, its arrangement is flawed due to an inherent buildup of field screening charge.
There is a need in the field of electrochemistry for improved methods, devices and system for extracting hydrogen from water.